Tomorrow Can Wait
by Zeiskyte
Summary: Viktor often gets too caught up in his work to remember to check a calendar. Jayce makes sure to remind Viktor exactly why today is special. / Viktor birthday fic.


_A/N: It's been a while, Vik fandom. I wish I could write more about our favorite metal man but writer's block and college are determined to keep me from writing._

_Anyway, happy birthday Viktor! Decided to write a happier fic compared to last year because Vik deserves love and happiness.  
_

* * *

Viktor leaned forward in his chair, digging his elbows deeper into his desk as he tightened a screw. He adjusted the metal arm on the table, twisting it to test its movement capacity. Frowning at the rigidness, he made a move with his screwdriver before pausing. If he loosened the screw, it might fall out at a later point. Instead, he could relocate the joint and adjust the fluidity of the arm's motion. He began dismantling the arm section by section, adjusting the mount on his desk. Using a flame torch to weld the pieces, he missed the sound of the door opening and closing.

"Vik, man," Jayce began, arms filled with two brown bags full of... something. He closed the door with his shoulder, walking over to one of their workbenches to drop off the bags. "Don't you think it's a little late to still be working on that? We have that trip tomorrow morning..."

Viktor's frown deepened, continuing to make his way around the arm with the torch. "I don't need to sleep. I _do_ need to finish working on this."

Jayce huffed a laugh, leaning down to untie his work boots. "You don't change, do you?" After shuffling them off, he walked back to the bags he brought. "I picked up those parts you needed, by the way."

Proud of his handiwork, Viktor placed the flame torch down onto the desk and leaned back, sliding his goggles onto his head. "Let me reimburse you-"

Jayce walked over to Viktor's workbench, placing the assortment of metal pieces in front of him with what might have passed for a smile. "No charge." When Viktor blinked at him in surprise, Jayce chuckled. "Hey, I'm not a complete asshole. They're on me."

Viktor scoffed, leaning forward to examine the parts. "Why are you being so nice? Usually you would be pestering me for the extra costs of 'shipping'."

"Learn how to accept a gift for once," Jayce turned his back on him with a huff of annoyance, walking back to the workbench he left the bags on. "Maybe I'll charge for express delivery if you don't shut up."

Pleased with the quality of the parts, Viktor began shifting through them and planning where he would implement them into the arm in front of him. "There must be some catch I'm missing."

Jayce sighed exasperatingly, digging through the bag. "You sure are a hardass sometimes." The edge of his lips turned up in a smirk. "Actually, correction. You sure are a hardass _all _the time."

Viktor ignored him, sliding his goggles back on. "Thank you for the parts, Jayce. I would appreciate if you left me alone now."

The man grabbed something inside the bag, taking it out and placing it onto the workbench. Viktor was too focused on re-welding the metallic arm to look up. "We're roommates, Vik. I can't exactly _leave you alone_."

"Stay over there, then. And keep quiet."

Jayce rolled his eyes with a huff. "Whatever." He continued to take things out of the bag, making sure they were out of sight of Viktor. "I can't believe I got such a jerk as my roommate."

Viktor kept working on the limb with his undivided attention, as if so much as glancing away would cause it to disappear. Jayce was surprised at how dedicated to his work Viktor was all the time; the semester had been over for over two weeks now and Viktor was still balancing his time between the third arm of his and some larger project that he would gush to Jayce about. As serious as Viktor made himself out to be, he could become something akin to a fanboy when it came to talking about his projects. Jayce mused it was like talking to a child about their favorite toy.

Jayce sighed, unwrapping something that Viktor couldn't see. "Hey, you can take a break for a few minutes, you know. I'm sure you've been working on that the entire day. I honestly don't know how your back isn't broken from being hunched over like that." He adjusted the brown bag to block whatever was in his hands, even though he doubted Viktor cared enough to look in the first place. "Classes have been over for a while now and they aren't starting for another month, Vik. You can come over here for a few minutes. I promise the arm will be there when you go back."

Viktor finally glanced up, amber eyes narrowed behind the red lenses of his goggles. "Unlike _somebody_, my work matters for my future. I can't waste the time I was given to come to this college. If I don't make a breakthrough-"

"Viktor."

Viktor frowned, making eye contact with Jayce. "I'm a Zaunite. I'm already fighting an uphill battle by coming here." He clenched his hands into fists before letting go with a sigh. "I cannot use the circumstances of my birth as an excuse, and I do not want to be labeled by it. I want to be known for my work. If I slack off, they can easily revoke my enrollment."

Jayce pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're over-exaggerating. Taking a break for a few minutes won't kill you. It won't put you behind, either." He opened some kind of container behind the bag, and finally Viktor began to notice that Jayce was hiding something from him. "Besides, it's good to take a step back once in a while. You get too caught up in your work that you stop thinking rationally. Come back to it with a new perspective and I'm sure you'll make more progress instead of sitting there, hunched over your desk all day."

"..." Viktor glanced away, perhaps rethinking his statement. He _had_ been working all day. Did he even eat? He couldn't recall for certain. His back was killing him and his shoulders ached from how tense he was. This couldn't have been good for his health. But finishing the arm and improving the blueprints for his steam golem had to come first. He couldn't go back to Zaun, not until he had made a name for himself.

Jayce couldn't watch this anymore. "Vik, get over here." He let a devious smirk cross his face. "Either you walk over here or I drag you."

Viktor sighed with a grimace, pushing himself out of his chair to stand up. Instantly groaning in pain, he shut an eye. "I don't think I've eaten anything today."

Jayce blinked in response. "Shit, man, it's like ten o'clock. I know you put your work first but you have to know that's bad for you." He glanced down to whatever he was doing behind the bag, clicking something. "Especially on a day like today."

Viktor raised an eyebrow. A day like today? Was there something special today? Nothing came to mind besides the fact that it was a gloomy Sunday. There had been hardly any light and he was constantly relighting a candle at his workbench. Whatever it was, apparently Jayce was in on something he wasn't.

"What's today?" Viktor inquired, genuinely out of the loop. By the way Jayce stifled a laugh, it must have been something extremely obvious or innately stupid. Viktor could never tell when it came to his roommate.

Jayce narrowed his eyes and slightly stuck his tongue out in concentration. He kept clicking something behind the bag, but with the way his face scrunched up in frustration, Viktor could tell it wasn't working out for him.

"Jayce," he began with more conviction, "_what's today_."

"Hey, hey," he said, brushing off Viktor's concern. "That would ruin the surprise."

Viktor was usually a patient man. But sometimes, without fail, his emotions would get the better of him - especially around Jayce, who seemed to push all of his buttons within a few minutes of interaction. "_Jayce._"

"Viktor!" Jayce said with faked enthusiasm, still staring down at whatever he was doing behind the bag.

Finally, Viktor swiped the bag away, leaving Jayce's surprise exposed.

A small cake, covered in dark blue frosting and an orange candle. _Happy Birthday Viktor_ was written in cursive, gray frosting under the candle.

Jayce looked up sheepishly, lighter still in his hand. "Happy birthday, Vik."

Viktor opened his mouth to reply but found he couldn't get a word out. He shut his mouth, glancing back down to the cake. Jayce spent money on him. Jayce went out of his way to remember his birthday and get him a cake. Jayce did all of this for him and Viktor had been a jerk to the guy since he got back.

He re-opened his mouth, unable to take his eyes off the cake. "I'm sorry for causing you the trouble."

Jayce leaned forward, patting Viktor on the shoulder and pulling him into a half hug. "I was expecting a thank you, birthday boy. And don't even start with the '_oh I'm so sorry Jayce, you didn't have to do this for me_' bullshit."

The words died on Viktor's tongue. For the first time in a while, he found himself chuckling. "Well, I guess I have nothing to say to you then."

"It's already past ten so we better start." Jayce placed the lighter down and grabbed a cake cutter, something else he must have bought. "Unless you want me to sing...?"

Viktor glanced away, a small blush on his face. "Please don't."

Jayce laughed, cutting a piece and putting it onto a plate. He handed it to Viktor with a plastic fork. "You'll have to excuse the less-than-exquisite cutlery. My wallet has seen better days."

Viktor wanted to be mad. Jayce was spending money he hardly had... on Viktor. On his birthday that he didn't even remember until somebody shoved a cake into his hands. But maybe... maybe that was wrong. Jayce would want him to be happy, not apologizing for costing his roommate money. It was Jayce's choice, if he didn't want to do this, he didn't have to.

He dug his fork into the cake and took a bite. Whatever flavor it was, it was great. Or maybe Viktor was just hungry. No matter the reason, the cake tasted great and he wouldn't mind another slice.

Swallowing the delicacy, he let the faintest of smiles grace his lips. "Thank you, Jayce. _Truly_."

"O-oh," Jayce rubbed the back of his neck before returning to his cake. "Anytime, Vik. You deserve something nice for all the work that you put in."

It... it was nice to hear someone say it. Viktor had gone many years without praise, but sitting there with a paper plate, a plastic fork, and a store-bought cake and being told his work was actually being noticed made the moment feel nostalgic in a way. Maybe socializing with other humans wasn't too bad after all.

His work could wait. Maybe, for once in his life, he could actually take care of himself and enjoy the time with a friend.


End file.
